Question: Let $\mathbf{a},$ $\mathbf{b},$ $\mathbf{c}$ be vectors such that $\|\mathbf{a}\| = \|\mathbf{b}\| = 1,$ $\|\mathbf{c}\| = 2,$ and
\[\mathbf{a} \times (\mathbf{a} \times \mathbf{c}) + \mathbf{b} = \mathbf{0}.\]Find the smallest possible angle between $\mathbf{a}$ and $\mathbf{c},$ in degrees.
By the vector triple product, for any vectors $\mathbf{u},$ $\mathbf{v},$ and $\mathbf{w},$
\[\mathbf{u} \times (\mathbf{v} \times \mathbf{w}) = (\mathbf{u} \cdot \mathbf{w}) \mathbf{v} - (\mathbf{u} \cdot \mathbf{v}) \mathbf{w}.\]Thus,
\[(\mathbf{a} \cdot \mathbf{c}) \mathbf{a} - (\mathbf{a} \cdot \mathbf{a}) \mathbf{c} + \mathbf{b} = 0.\]Since $\|\mathbf{a}\| = 1,$
\[(\mathbf{a} \cdot \mathbf{c}) \mathbf{a} - \mathbf{c} + \mathbf{b} = 0,\]so $(\mathbf{a} \cdot \mathbf{c}) \mathbf{a} - \mathbf{c} = -\mathbf{b}.$  Then
\[\|(\mathbf{a} \cdot \mathbf{c}) \mathbf{a} - \mathbf{c}\| = \|-\mathbf{b}\| = 1.\]We can then say $\|(\mathbf{a} \cdot \mathbf{c}) \mathbf{a} - \mathbf{c}\|^2 = 1,$ which expands as
\[(\mathbf{a} \cdot \mathbf{c})^2 \|\mathbf{a}\|^2 - 2 (\mathbf{a} \cdot \mathbf{c})^2 + \|\mathbf{c}\|^2 = 1.\]We can simplify this to
\[-(\mathbf{a} \cdot \mathbf{c})^2 + 4 = 1,\]so $(\mathbf{a} \cdot \mathbf{c})^2 = 3.$  Hence, $\mathbf{a} \cdot \mathbf{c} = \pm \sqrt{3}.$

If $\theta$ is the angle between $\mathbf{a}$ and $\mathbf{c},$ then
\[\cos \theta = \frac{\mathbf{a} \cdot \mathbf{c}}{\|\mathbf{a}\| \|\mathbf{c}\|} = \pm \frac{\sqrt{3}}{2}.\]The smallest possible angle $\theta$ satisfying this equation is $30^\circ.$  We can achieve $\boxed{30^\circ}$ by taking $\mathbf{a} = \begin{pmatrix} 1 \\ 0 \\ 0 \end{pmatrix},$ $\mathbf{b} = \begin{pmatrix} 0 \\ 1 \\ 0 \end{pmatrix},$ and $\mathbf{c} = \begin{pmatrix} \sqrt{3} \\ 1 \\ 0 \end{pmatrix},$ so this is the smallest possible angle.